MURUKKU PODI – KIDS SNACK RECIPES

Murukku podi/Powder is a very easy and tasty snacks recipe which can attract ur kids easily. Its just a single step process..This recipe may be known to most of u but u might have forgotten about it.This post is to refresh ur memories :)..We all would have made thenkuzhal or mullu muruuku for Diwali and i hope u have some murukku leftover in ur pantry. Some kids hesitate/don’t like to eat mullu murukku as it pricks the jaws.I have seen toothless old people getting mouth ulcers by eating murukku.So,for those people, u can try this way. They’ll love it for sure. When i was young , kittu aachi( my dad’s periamma) used to come to our house to help my mom for making thenkuzhal murukku.She was a very old toothless lady. As she couldn’t eat murukku as such , my mom make this murukku podi for her and store in a box.She used to enjoy it a lot ..As kids , we too( me & my sis) used to take it in a bowl and have it after coming from school.A glass of milk and this murukku podi was our evening snacks those days during Diwali. Yesterday i tried this with leftover magizhampoo murukku for Raksha & she loved it. More than Raksha , myself and Sendhil relished a lot and we finished the bowl very quickly .Thenkuzhal murukku podi tastes the best according to me. Do try this murukku podi for a change if u have not attempted so far..U may love it like me .

Murukku podi

Murukku podi/powder is a very easy kids snack recipe which can be made in minutes using leftover murukku..

Cuisine: Indian Category: Sweet Yields: Serves 2

Prep Time: 1 Minute Cook Time: 2 Minutes Total Time: 3 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

To grind Leftover plain murukku (thenkuzhal or mullu murukku) - 5 nos Sugar –2-3 tsp (increase as per ur need)

METHOD

Break the murukku into pieces..In a dry mixie jar , take the murukku pieces.Grind  till it becomes a nice powder..Remove it in a bowl , add sugar. Mix well and enjoy ! Enjoy !

Note

For sugar patients , please avoid adding sugar. Just powder and give .. If u have spicy murukku in hand , u can powder and have it as such.   I made this recipe using leftover magizhampoo murukku. Thenkuzhal murukku tastes the best :)

My daughter had this murukku podi with complan  

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Mango Drumstick Sambar Recipe - Tirunelveli / Nellai Sambar Recipe

I love to taste and try varieties of sambar recipes be it idli sambar or lunch sambar and particularly this raw mango drusmtick sambar is my most favourite among all the sambar recipes. U know why, this is my mom’s Tirunelveli style sambar for rice :) We love to have it with idli, dosa as well. My mom calls this as "Idi sambar". Its a very tasty and flavorful sambar with freshly ground sambar powder. I can have a plateful of rice anytime with this Nellai sambar. We ( me and my sis) fondly call this as "Amma sambar". 

After marriage, when I started cooking, I couldn’t make this sambar often in my kitchen as Sendhil is very much fond of his mom’s Tanjore/Kumbakonam style sambar. So whenever I go to my mom’s house(Salem), she prepares this specially for me. This sambar needs very less dal than the usual quantity. We can add any vegetables like lady’s finger, drumstick, brinjal and raw mango. But our favorite combo is drumstick and raw mango. 

In my family, everybody loves my mom’s cooking very much. She makes authentic Nellai Saiva pillai (Tirunelveli) samayal very nicely.  My amma never used store bought sambar powder in her cooking so far.  Her recipes are mostly with freshly ground powder be it sambar, puli kulambu or rasam. So preparation /cooking time takes little more than my (mil’s) usual method of cooking. So I make my mil’s and mom’s lunch recipes in alternate days and enjoy eating varieties of kuzhambu.

My mom makes Carrot puttu or avial as side dish for this sambar recipe. To me, just a papad/ appalam is enough.
If you are looking to find Tirunelveli style Sambar powder, check THIS LINK

 

Basic Tirunelveli style Sambar Recipe For Rice

Basic Nellai style sambar recipe for rice using freshly ground sambar powder. U can use any vegetables like brinjal , lady’s finger , drumstick or simply onion.

Cuisine: South Indian Category: Lunch recipes Serves: 2-3 

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Total Time: 40 Minutes 

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml

To pressure cook Toor dal – 1/3 cup Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Cooking oil – a drop To roast and grind for sambar powder ( use 1 tsp of this powder, store the excess powder for future use. My mom use this powder for idli sambar too.) Oil – 1/4 tsp Methi seeds - `1/2 tsp Chana dal – 1 tsp Coriander seeds – 1/2 tsp Red chillies – 3 nos To grind Grated coconut – 1.5 tbsp Small onions – 3 nos Jeera/cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp To saute Cooking oil – 1 tbsp Big onion – 1 no (slice cut) Curry leaves – few Tamarind – A big gooseberry size Drumstick – 1 no (cut into finger size pieces) Small Raw mango – 1/2no ( 5-6 cubes) Red chilli powder – 2 tsp Salt & water – as needed To temper Cooking oil – 1 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Coriander leaves – 2tbsp (to garnish)

HOW TO MAKE TIRUNELVELI IDI SAMBAR FOR RICE - METHOD

Pressure cook toor dal adding turmeric powder , salt and a drop of oil for 2 whistles. Mash the cooked dal and set aside.In a mixie jar , grind the coconut , small onions and jeera to a smooth paste adding the required water. In a pan , heat 1/4 tsp of oil and roast the ingredients given under “ To roast and grind”. Powder it nicely. U don’t have to use all the powder. Use only 1 tsp. Store the remaining for making idli sambar. Take the tamarind extract in a bowl. To this add red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder and drumstick. Check for taste.Set apart In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil and saute the sliced onions. To this add the tamarind extract mixture. Cover and cook till drumstick is done. After the drumstick is 3/4th cooked, add raw mango pieces. Again cover and cook for sometime. Mango takes less time to cook. So keep checking otherwise it will cook soft & dissolve in sambar. After the vegetables get cooked, add the mashed dal. Allow it to roll boil. Lastly add the ground coconut , mix well. Let it boil for a minute. Now add a tsp of roasted and ground sambar powder. Allow it to boil till you get a nice aroma. Switch off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves. Give a standing time of minimum 30 minutes for all the flavors to induce well. Temper with the ingredients given under “to temper”. Mix well. Enjoy mixing with hot rice !!

Note

Adding raw mango is optional. U can add only drumstick and make this sambar. But increase the tamarind to a small lemon size. Garnishing with coriander leaves gives a superb flavor for this sambar. Please don’t skip.. Do not use all the powder to this sambar. Use only a tsp. U can make sambar 2-3 times using this powder. As mixie doesn’t grind very small quantity , amma use this measure. She use this powder for making idli sambar too. So store the remaining powder in a box and use whenever needed. Less dal is needed for sambar as we add ground coconut and channa dal which helps for thickening.

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SUZHIYAN RECIPE - HOW TO MAKE SUZHIYAM RECIPE - DIWALI BREAKFAST RECIPES

Suzhiyan is Sendhil's most favorite sweet among all the diwali recipes. People call it by different names as suzhiyam, suyyan, susiyam, sweet seeyam, sukhiyan etc. Suzhiyan sweet recipe is very easy to make. Kadalai paruppu pooranam is used for stuffing and maida, rice flour is used for outer covering. 

We usually make it specially on Diwali Day and after ganesh chaturthi with left over channa dal pooranam / kadalai paruppu pooranam made for kozhukattai. I learnt this recipe from my MIL.

 

My mom & Sister's family makes the same with coconut pooranam. In our house, we call this as suseeyam/sugin/ suyyam. Stuffing is our choice.Some people use idli dosa batter to make the outer covering of suzhiyan. But we use maida & rice flour. So I have shared recipe for outer layer of suzhiyam and our easy method of making stuffing/pooranam.

I have shared a picture of our Diwali breakfast recipes below. Hope you all celebrated Diwali very well.. I had a great Diwali celebration in my in-laws place. I got a new saree from my in-laws and two churidhars from my husband. I was so  happy and busy in burning crackers, eating sweets and snacks(my mil's preparation), wishing friends and relatives and in taking pictures..

We usually make Medhu vadai with pepper , Suzhiyan and adhirasam along with idli, sambar for neivedyam on Diwali morning. Diwali breakfast is like a feast for us. We have all the sweets and snacks made for Diwali along with the above said recipes. We keep munching the savories and sweets the whole day. We don’t even make lunch. Our only job is to watch special programmes in TV , eat and sleep ;).

Ok, enough of my stories lets move on to Suzhiyan recipe with step by step pictures.

Suzhiyan Recipe

Suzhiyan is a delicious, deep fried snack stuffed with chana dal pooran. We make this for neivedyam on Diwali and Ganesh chaturthi. 

Cuisine: South Indian Category: Sweet / Snack Yields: 30

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Total Time: 40 Minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml

For pooranam Chana dal / Kadalai paruppu – 1/2 cup Grated jaggery –  3/4 cup ( add 1 cup for more sweetness) Grated coconut – 1/2 cup Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp Water – as needed For outer layer All purpose flour /Maida – 1 cup Besan flour – 1 tbsp (optional) Rice flour – 1 tbsp Salt – a pinch Cooking soda – A pinch Oil – to deep fry

HOW TO MAKE SUZHIYAN - METHOD

Prepare the stuffing first. For this, pressure cook channa dal adding required water and a tsp of oil. Cook for 2-3 whistles in low flame. After the steam is released , mash the dal well with a whisk or ladle. Set aside. To this mashed dal , add grated coconut and jaggery. Mix till the mixture thickens and leave the sides of the pan & becomes non-sticky. Add cardamom powder. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool. Make small lemon sized balls after the stuffing becomes warm.. In a wide bowl, take the all purpose flour , besan and rice flour. Add a pinch of salt and cooking soda. Add water to make a batter of bajji batter consistency. Batter should flow like a ribbon. It should coat the stuffing well. Put the stuffing balls in the batter. Heat oil in a kadai and when it gets heated , use a spoon and take a ball dipped in batter. Put 3 to 4 balls in oil and deep fry for few minutes. Keep turning both the sides for even cooking. Remove as soon as the outer cover gets golden brown spots in the center. Drain in a a colander and store in a box after it cools down. It stays good for 2-3 days.  Enjoy !

Note

While cooking dal, if you add more water, drain the excess water and grind to a smooth paste. Also while adding jaggery and coconut, you don’t have to add water.Coconut and jaggery itself leaves water when it melts. If u want to remove the impurities of jaggery, first heat & melt the jaggery adding little water and allow it to become frothy. When it is frothy, add grated coconut and mashed dal. Mix till mixture thickens and leaves the sides. U can make the batter only using maida. Adding rice flour makes it slightly crispy.. Besan flour is completely optional. Make the batter in bajji batter consistency. Do not make it too thin or too thick. The stuffing should be coated well. Suzhiyan stays soft and good for 2-3 days.

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INJI LEGIYAM /GINGER LEGIYAM – DIWALI MARUNTHU RECIPE

This year I couldn’t post many recipes for Diwali as I wished. So I thought of finishing this year Diwali recipes at least with this useful post. My mom was with me for the past one week. When I was discussing about diwali legiyam , she immediately told me about this inji legiyam / ginger legiyam recipe.

This is not the authentic Diwali legiyam reipe.But my mom makes this on the eve of Diwali and once in 3 months. We used to have this legiyam for 3 days in empty stomach from Diwali. It is one of the easiest and the best legiyam recipe which can be made with just 3 major ingredients in 10 minutes. As a kid, me & my sister used to cry literally to have this in empty stomach and the worst thing is we should not drink or eat anything for 30 minutes after having this legiyam. We should not drink water too. But now I realise how effective it is. We ( me & my sis) have no digestion & stomach upset problem till today (touchwood). 

Now I am following my mom and I make this legiyam for my family whenever they have indigestion issues. I give a big gooseberry size for my husband and a small berry size for my daughter. This legiyam is not only healthy but also very tasty with mild inji kaaram. It helps for easier digestion of oily and junk foods we have on Diwali. It also improves appetite.Some people make this legiyam for krishna jayanthi and offer to god along with seedai. Do prepare and have this simple & effective legiyam for this diwali. Enjoy sweets & snacks without feeling guilty. I'll try to the post the authentic legiyam next year.

Do refer “Points to note” before doing this legiyam. 

Diwali marundhu recipe - Inji legiyam 

Easy ginger legiyam recipe using easily available ingredients in pantry !

Cuisine: Indian Category: Health food Yields: Serves 2

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Total Time: 25 Minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

To grind Fresh ginger (thumb finger size) – 5 pieces Dhania/Coriander seeds – 2 tsp Dry grapes / raisins – 1/4 cup Salt – a pinch To saute Grated jaggery – 2 tbsp Ghee – 1.5 tbsp Water – as needed

HOW TO MAKE INJI LEGIYAM - METHOD

Wash and chop the ginger into small pieces. Set aside. In a mixie jar , grind the dhania seeds first to a coarse powder. Then add the chopped ginger, required water and grind it to a smooth paste. Lastly add the dry grapes and grind to smooth paste. In a kadai , melt jaggery adding little water ( say 2-3 tbsp). Jaggery will melt completely and becomes frothy. Now add the ginger paste and mix well till the mixture thickens. Add ghee at the end and mix till it leaves the sides of the pan. Make sure there is no water content. It spoils the shelf life of this legiyam.

Allow it to cool completely and store in a clean, air tight box. Always use a dry, clean spoon to take it..It stays good for 4 days without refrigeration..

Note

There should not be water content in this lehiyam. It will spoil this lehiyam very soon. So mix it well in high flame. Add more jaggery if you want more sweetness. But the quantity I have given is enough to compensate the ginger taste. U should have this legiyam for 3 days continuously to get its full benefits. Its better to have this in empty stomach or at night before going to bed. Most important thing is u should not eat or drink anything for 30 minutes after having this legiyam. If you eat food or drink water immediately, you may pass loose stools. Take care .. This legiyam can be had once in three months generally. It helps to keep our stomach clean and strong. Coriander seeds/dhania helps to control the bile secretion (pitham) in our body. Ginger is helpful for easy digestion and removes the waste/toxins. Dry grapes gives us good immunity. Ghee is used to subside the heat of body. Adults can have a big gooseberry size and kids( above 6 yrs) can have  a small berry size of this legiyam.

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SURYAKALA,CHANDRAKALA SWEET RECIPE–DIWALI SWEETS RECIPES

Suryakala and chandrakala are one of the fancy sweets we normally see in sweet stalls. Many people may not be aware of this sweet. Every year I wish to try some interesting sweets apart from our traditional sweets.Last year i tried Kaju lotus.

This year, when I wanted to try something new , this sweet flashed in my mind. I got attracted by its shape. I love its spirals/pleats. I thought it is very difficult to prepare at home . But after I tried for the first time, I felt it very easy. This is a two in one recipe. Anyone can make it easily. 

The method of making this sweet is very similar to sweet samosa recipe. I was very happy with the outcome in the first try itself. I know the shape is not so perfect. Hope I’ll make it well in future. Sendhil and Raksha loved it. The color of the sweet depends on how you want. It comes out white in color. I wanted mine to be golden brown as in sweets stalls. Please have a look at “Note” section before you start making. Celebrate your diwali with this grand sweet.

Suryakala,Chandrakala

Suryakala,chandrakala sweet recipes - Rich & grand sweet for diwali!

Cuisine: Indian Category: Sweet Yields: Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Total Time: 40 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

To make dough All purpose flour/Maida – 1 cup Melted ghee – 1tbsp Salt – a pinch Cooking soda – 1/2 pinch Water – as needed For stuffing Sugarless Khova – 1/2 cup (in room temperature) Powdered sugar –1/4 cup Cashews – 5 nos Pista – 10 nos Badam – 5 nos Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp For Sugar Syrup Sugar - 1 cup Water - 1/2 cup Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp or rose water - few drops

METHOD

In a wide bowl , take maida, cooking soda and a pinch of salt. Add melted butter and make a crumbly mixture. Fat should be well distributed with the flour.. Add enough water to make a soft , non-sticky pliable dough. Knead the dough well for five minutes. Keep covered for 30 minutes. In the mean time , make the stuffing. Take the sugarless khova in a bowl in room temperature.mix well to break the lumps and set aside. Dry roast the nuts in high flame for 2 minutes. Color of the nuts should not change. Powder the roasted nuts along with sugar. Mix this powder and khova to make a thick stuffing.Set aside. After 30 minutes , make small lemon sized balls out of the dough. Roll the dough into a small poori of palm size. Make it thick in the center and thin in the corners. Keep 2 tsp of stuffing in the center and fold it like a half moon. Seal the edges by dipping your finger with water. Once it is sealed completely , do the spirals.While making the spiral shape , if your fingers are sticking to the dough , dip your finger in maida and proceed. U may get some excess dough. Pinch the excess dough and set aside. Fold the corner. Please refer the below picture and video for reference. This is chandrakala/Half moon shaped sweet. For suryakala , divide the lemon sized ball into two and roll it to two small pooris. Place the stuffing in one poori and cover it with another poori. Seal the edges with water as mentioned above. Twist the corners and make spirals. Refer the video below.. Arrange the prepared suryakala and chandrakala in a plate. Cover it with a wet cloth till you deep fry. Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Deep fry them in batches till they turn golden brown on both sides. Drain in a tissue. Now prepare sugar syrup. Melt sugar in water and boil till frothy. Check for one string consistency. when you take the syrup and slide between your thumb and pointer finger. When you release it, it will form  a single string. Dip suryakala and chandrakala into the sugar syrup for 10 minutes till the next batch is ready. It will get a nice shine. After sometime sugar will be coated on top of it. Enjoy !

Note

Make the dough non-sticky and pliable. Add water accordingly. Most important thing is dough should be non-sticky. Another important point is “Rolling” . Roll the dough like a thick poori. It should be thick in the centre and slightly thin in the corners. If you make it very thin, stuffing will ooze out in the oil while deep frying and the oil becomes a waste. Please be careful. I had experienced this. If you make it too thick , it takes more time to cook and spiral corners may not be cooked properly. To avoid this disaster, first make one chandrakala & suryakala , deep fry in little oil. If you get it right  proceed making the remaining ones. Else adjust the rolling and try again. This will surely help. Suppose if the stuffing ooze out in oil, immediately switch off the stove and remove the sweet. Strain the oil and reuse it. If u want white sugar coating like badusha, make one string consistency. If you just want a shiny look, make half string consistency and dip the sweets. Dipping 10 – 15 minutes is enough. This sweet will taste crisp even after dipping in the sugar syrup if you eat on the same day. But the consistency of syrup should be right. The next day it tasted soft outside.. Store in a box only after the sweet cools down completely.

Enjoy your diwali eating suryakala & chandrakala. 

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HOW TO MAKE SUGAR SYRUP FOR SWEETS (VIDEO POST) | DIWALI SWEETS RECIPES

Hi friends ,
I wanted to make this post on "How to make sugar syrup for various Indian sweets with stepwise pictures" but i couldn't.Even this time i am doing post in the last minute.Sorry for that:(My parents are here and i was busy in attending family functions.Diwali is nearing our door steps. I hope most of u would have started trying diwali sweets and snacks. Many of u would have got it right and some people would have lost due to sugar syrup. Here is a video post for those who want to learn and see the different stages of sugar syrup. Last year i made a post on sugar syrup consistency with step by step pictures.. From that time i wanted to post a video to help beginners like me.I am happy that i could make it at least now ..

In this post , i have given 3 videos . One for “How to remove the dirt /scum from sugar” and another one for "Different consistencies of sugar syrup” and the third one for “Jaggery syrup consistency for adhirasam”.
After taking so many videos , i am satisfied with this one and posted here. As i had camera in one hand , i couldn’t use both the hands for mixing and testing the syrup.I usually check the syrup by touching the syrup from the corner or back of the ladle. Here i have not mentioned the time taken for each consistency as i switched off the flame every time to take videos for each consistency.Roughly it takes 3-4 minutes( in medium flame) right from switching on the stove to reach half string .After that it took 1-2 minutes for reaching further consistencies.I’ll try to update the timings soon. I used 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water to make the consistencies reach very slowly. But it takes lesser water than this quantity.

Thanks for watching these videos. I hope these videos are helpful for beginners to understand the consistencies to certain extent.Keep practicing. U’ll become the master ..Experts , do excuse ..

VIDEO FOR REMOVING DIRT FROM SUGAR SYRUP

Please click this link for more details with step by step pictures.I have given these videos with description. But it is not visible completely.Some part is getting cut.So please watch the video in full screen to see the description :)

VIDEO FOR SUGAR SYRUP CONSISTENCIES

Please click this link for more details with step by step pictures.

VIDEO FOR ADHIRASAM - JAGGERY SYRUP

Please click this link for more details with step by step pictures

Thanks for watching these videos. Hope it is understandable and useful ! .Keep these videos as reference and practice on ur own. U’ll get it right for sure ..
Wish u all a very happy and safe diwali

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